The prior art attempts to provide gripping gloves and gripping devices are shown in the prior art. For example, the patent to Fritschen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,279) is directed to a water sport and grip hook to assist a wearer in firmly gripping the handle of, for example, a ski rope to eliminate hand and arm fatigue. The device includes a grip strap of webbing material for patents at a 45.degree. angle to the wrist. A palm or grip strap which encircles a dowel sewn in a loop to provide a protuberance rib which extends transversely to the strap. The Fritschen et al. device also includes a variety of embodiments of finger engaging devices, such as loops, channels, finger cups, or the like.
Another patent to Rietz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,831) shows a glove arrangement particularly for water skiing, which includes a grip device attached to the palm of a full glove using a dowel on the end of a strap secured to the entire length of the glove from the wrist to the fingers. The dowel strap is not moveable, and therefore can only be used in one way, where the cylindrical object, or grip handle, is in the palm of the user's hand.
Other patents of interest include the patent to Swanson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,903), which shows a golf glove having a raised bead extending across the palm portion to abut the grip of a golf club shaft and guide the hand of a golfer to a proper grip position.
The patent to Stroud (U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,465) shows a golf glove having a hook member attached to the wrist portion of the glove, which engages the shaft of a golf club to enhance the grip of the user.
Another patent of interest is to Farnsworth (U.S. Pat. No. 3,417,840), which shows a safety hook attached to the wrist of the glove, which is structured to engage the rungs of a ladder to aid the user in maintaining a grip of the rung.
The present invention is directed to an improved glove and auxiliary grip to a user to grasp a cylindrical object which exerts a force on the user. The glove and auxiliary grip is particularly adapted to aid a user when water skiing to help the skier maintain a firm grip on the cylindrical ski rope handle and/or to aid a user when weight lifting to maintain a grip on a barbell bar when the barbell weight is lifted. Other similar uses are contemplated, as for example, using the glove and grip to lift heavy objects in the construction and manufacturing trades.
Preferably, the glove is fingerless and thumbless, and includes a padded palm section. The glove includes a pair of tab panels attached to the palm section which overlay the back of the hand of the user, a wrist band and a wrist strap having a universally adjustable fastener system to precisely and securely attach the glove to the hand of a user.
The tab panels are adjustably interconnected using a hook and loop type separable fastener. The wrist band has a hook and loop fastener for initially positioning the wrist band on the wrist of the user. The wrist strap includes an adjustably positioned hook and loop separable fastener which is connected through a D-ring and folded back upon itself to secure the glove at the wrist.
The auxiliary grip includes a grip strap having a fixed end securely fastened to the wrist strap below the padded palm and a free end terminating in a cylindrical loop for holding a correspondingly sized, cylindrically-shaped protuberance such as a wooden or plastic dowel. The grip strap includes one element of still another hook and loop separable fastener which cooperates with a complimentary separable fastener element on the wrist strap which enables the grip strap to be folded back away from the padded palm when it is not being used.
Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a thumbless and fingerless glove having an auxiliary grip to aid a user in griping a cylindrical member exerting a force on the hand of the user; the provision of such a glove having a unique fastener system for attaching the glove to the hand of the user; and, the provision of such a glove wherein the fasteners of the fastener system are universally adjustable, enabling the glove to be precisely and securely secured to the hand of a user to obtain maximum effectiveness of the auxiliary grip. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.